Photo London marks an exciting chapter in 2026 by making a new home at Olympia in Kensington. The historic venue, currently undergoing a £1.3 billion redevelopment led by Heatherwick Studios, provides a fitting setting for the Fair. The leading event spent a decade at Somerset House, where it established itself as a key moment in the international cultural calendar. Now, founders Michael Benson and Fariba Farshad promise a “significant tightening of curatorial focus,” including a mix of fresh and returning galleries from New York to Tokyo, Warsaw to Taipei, as well as a major expansion of its publishing offering.
The Main presentation welcomes back recognised London-based destinations, like The Photographers’ Gallery, Flowers and Goodman, alongside debuting international galleries including Paris-B; Miyako Yoshinaga, New York; and Fulcrum, Mumbai. Galerie Esther Woerdehoff spotlights Michael Wesely, who uses ultra-long exposure techniques to create still lifes of flowers that reveal the passage of time. Flowers Gallery presents one of the biggest names in contemporary photography. Edward Burtynsky’s abstract works document environmental destruction brought about by mass industry. It’s an exciting opportunity to see his work up-close, appreciating the intricate detail that makes up each shot. Elsewhere, Santiago Porter, showcased by Rolf Art Gallery, offers work that asks audiences to consider the often conflicting relationship between a landscape’s appearance and its actual history.
Every year, the Fair pushes the definition of photography, and this programme is no different. Photo London 2026 will showcase art films for the very first time in a dedicated screening room. Exhibiting galleries will show collectible film work by both emerging and established artists in a wide ranging programme over the duration of the Fair. Highlights include film work by Wu Chia-Yun; Nature Prints, an ongoing artistic research project by Carolina Baldomá, that explores the relationship between human beings and nature through the ideas of synchronicity and coexistence; a documentary by Krissy Shook about the life of her mother, Melissa Shook; and Sarah Moon’s There is something about Lillian.
There’s also an all-new section, Source, dedicated to solo presentations of underrepresented voices and risk-takers in mixed-media, who have not received the institutional recognition of their contemporaries. Configured as a trail through the main section of the Fair, highlights include Galerie Peter Sillem, Frankfurt showcasing work by married German photographers Ute and Werner Mahler; Galerie Julian Sander, Cologne, presenting American photographer Rosalind Fox Solomon’s project Portraits in the Time of AIDS, first shown in New York in 1988; and a collaboration between Prix Pictet and Goodman Gallery presenting Prix Pictet Laureate Alfredo Jaar’s work Searching for Africa in Life, 1966/2022.
In the Discovery area, curated by critic and author Charlotte Jansen, attendees will encounter the vision of Carolina Baldomā. The artist, represented by Victoria Law Projects, works within the natural environment of the Argentinian Pampas. I Was Once Between the Moon and the Sun visualises the experiences and emotions of adolescent girls through magical realist perspective. The section features strong representation from South Asia this year with first time exhibitors Fulcrum, Mumbai, presenting a duo booth of two emerging Indian artists, Ranjit Kandalgaonkar, and Vasudhaa Narayanan; The Art Family, a non profit initiative based in London, supporting South Asian artists. Jansen says: “Discovery is a testing ground within the fair. Whereas elsewhere you’ll see work validated by the institution, the art marked and by history, Discovery offers an exploratory encounter that encourages visitors to slow down. I’ve been keen to select galleries who are genuinely interested in shifting the conversation rather than following trends, with generative, risk-taking work that might resist easy placement and challenge its own audience.”
The latest edition, with all this innovation, is sure to be one-to-watch. It’s a testament to Photo London’s continuous drive for innovation, championing those often underrepresented or overlooked by the industry. The fair’s relocation provides a unique opportunity to expand and reimagine its offerings for a new decade. There’s little doubt that the Photo London’s second chapter has begun in formidable style.
Photo London runs from 14-17 May at Olympia: photolondon.org
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
1. Carolina Baldoma, Chicas 8 (from I Was Once Between the Moon and the Sun), 2024, 65.3 x 102.2 cm, archival pigment print © the artist and Victoria Law Projects.
2. Santiago Porter, Paisaje I, Series Bruma, 2011, 150 x 205 cm, Inkjet print on cotton paper, credit_ Santiago Porter, courtesy Rolf Art Gallery.
3. Branko Lenart, The Medium is the Message, 1976, 30 x 40 cm, silver gelatine vintage print, credit_ Photon Gallery.
4. Edward Burtynsky, Shell Beach 3, Shark Bay, Western Australia, 2025, Archival Pigment, 121.9 x 162.6 cm, © The Artist, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery.
5. Weronika Gęsicka, Untitled #3, (COCOON/CLIFFHANGER series), 2020, 40 x 50 cm, archival pigment print on dibond, framed, Courtesy the artist and JEDNOSTKA Gallery.
6. Michael Wesely, Stilleben (2.5 – 9.5.2020) B7951, (Stilleben series), 2020, 160 x 195 cm, C-print, UltraSecM, metal frame, courtesy of Galerie Esther Woerdehoff
